009C Sample Final 3, Problem 6

Consider the power series

$\sum _{n=0}^{\infty }(-1)^{n}{\frac {x^{n+1}}{n+1}}$

(a) Find the radius of convergence of the above power series.

(b) Find the interval of convergence of the above power series.

(c) Find the closed formula for the function  $f(x)$  to which the power series converges.

(d) Does the series

$\sum _{n=0}^{\infty }{\frac {1}{(n+1)3^{n+1}}}$

converge? If so, find its sum.

Foundations:
1. Ratio Test
Let  $\sum a_{n}$  be a series and  $L=\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }{\bigg |}{\frac {a_{n+1}}{a_{n}}}{\bigg |}.$
Then,
If  $L<1,$  the series is absolutely convergent.
If  $L>1,$  the series is divergent.
If  $L=1,$  the test is inconclusive.
2. Direct Comparison Test
Let  $\{a_{n}\}$  and  $\{b_{n}\}$  be positive sequences where  $a_{n}\leq b_{n}$
for all  $n\geq N$  for some  $N\geq 1.$
1. If  $\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }b_{n}$  converges, then  $\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }a_{n}$  converges.
2. If  $\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }a_{n}$  diverges, then  $\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }b_{n}$  diverges.

Solution:

(a)

Step 1:
We use the Ratio Test to determine the radius of convergence.
We have
${\begin{array}{rcl}\displaystyle {\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }{\bigg |}{\frac {a_{n+1}}{a_{n}}}{\bigg |}}&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }{\bigg |}{\frac {(-1)^{n+1}(x)^{n+2}}{(n+2)}}{\frac {n+1}{(-1)^{n}(x)^{n+1}}}{\bigg |}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }{\bigg |}(-1)(x){\frac {n+1}{n+2}}{\bigg |}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }|x|{\frac {n+1}{n+2}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {|x|\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }{\frac {n+1}{n+2}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {|x|.}\end{array}}$

Step 2:
The Ratio Test tells us this series is absolutely convergent if  $|x|<1.$
Hence, the Radius of Convergence of this series is  $R=1.$

(b)

Step 1:
First, note that  $|x|<1$  corresponds to the interval  $(-1,1).$
To obtain the interval of convergence, we need to test the endpoints of this interval
for convergence since the Ratio Test is inconclusive when  $R=1.$

Step 2:
First, let  $x=1.$
Then, the series becomes  $\sum _{n=0}^{\infty }(-1)^{n}{\frac {1}{n+1}}.$
This is an alternating series.
Let  $b_{n}={\frac {1}{n+1}}.$.
The sequence  $\{b_{n}\}$  is decreasing since
${\frac {1}{n+2}}<{\frac {1}{n+1}}$
for all  $n\geq 0.$
Also,
$\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }b_{n}=\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }{\frac {1}{n+1}}=0.$
Therefore, this series converges by the Alternating Series Test
and we include  $x=1$  in our interval.

Step 3:
Now, let  $x=-1.$
Then, the series becomes
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} \displaystyle{\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{(-1)^{2n+1}}{n+1}} & = & \displaystyle{\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{-1}{n+1}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{(-1)\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{n+1}.} \end{array}}
Now, we note that
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{1}{n+1}>0}
for all  $n\geq 0.$
This means that we can use the limit comparison test on this series.
Let  $a_{n}={\frac {1}{n+1}}.$
Let  $b_{n}={\frac {1}{n}}.$
Then,  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^\infty b_n}   diverges since it is the harmonic series.
We have
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \frac{a_n}{b_n}} & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \frac{(\frac{1}{n+1})}{(\frac{1}{n})}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \frac{n}{n+1}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} 1.} \end{array}}
Therefore, the series
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n+1}}
diverges by the Limit Comparison Test.
Therefore, we do not include  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle x=-1}   in our interval.

Step 4:
The interval of convergence is  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle (-1,1].}

(c)

Step 1:
Let
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f(x)=\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n \frac{x^{n+1}}{n+1}.}
Then,
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} \displaystyle{f'(x)} & = & \displaystyle{\frac{d}{dx}\bigg(\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n \frac{x^{n+1}}{n+1}\bigg)}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{d}{dx}\bigg( (-1)^n \frac{x^{n+1}}{n+1}\bigg)}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n x^n}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-x)^n}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\frac{1}{1-(-x)}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\frac{1}{1+x}.} \end{array}}

Step 2:
Then,
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} \displaystyle{f(x)} & = & \displaystyle{\int \frac{1}{1+x}~dx}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\ln(1+x)+C.} \end{array}}
Since there is no constant term in the series Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n \frac{x^{n+1}}{n+1},}
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle C=0.}
Hence,
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f(x)=\ln(1+x).}

(d)

Step 1:
First, we note that
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{1}{(n+1)3^{n+1}}>0}
for all  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle n\ge 0.}
This means that we can use a comparison test on this series.
Let  $a_{n}={\frac {1}{(n+1)3^{n+1}}}.$

Step 2:
Let  $b_{n}={\frac {1}{3^{n+1}}}.$
We want to compare the series in this problem with
$\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }b_{n}=\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }{\frac {1}{3}}{\bigg (}{\frac {1}{3}}{\bigg )}^{n}.$
This is a geometric series with  $r={\frac {1}{3}}.$
Since   $|r|<1,$  the series  $\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }b_{n}$  converges.

Step 3:
Also, we have  $a_{n}<b_{n}$  since
${\frac {1}{(n+1)3^{n+1}}}<{\frac {1}{3^{n+1}}}$
for all  $n\geq 0.$
Therefore, the series  $\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }a_{n}$  converges
by the Direct Comparison Test.

Final Answer:
(a)     The radius of convergence is  $R=1.$
(b)     $(-1,1]$
(c)     $f(x)=\ln(1+x)$
(d)     converges

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